Disclaimer: Not mine- however much I might want it tobe.

Beta: ShadowFax999-- but I have the sneaking suspicion that she's stuck smack-dab in the center of Hurricane Faye, and I haven't heard from her in a bit. But when I do, I'm going to repost lotsa chaps.

Title: The Ties That Bind

Summary/ Warning: Dom/ Sub, HGRW, PPBZ, RLSB, LVBL …and of course HPSS.

Chapter 17: Family Secrets

:Parseltongue:

"Conversational thoughts"

Private thoughts, shared memories

Sirius waited until Remus had reversed the spell before loosing it. Not at the twins, no- they loved their ability to prank too much to do something like this that might loose them that privilege. No- Sirius was raging mad at Snape, because he had seen that no-good, lying, double-crossing grease ball aim his wand at him just as the twins pulled their little joke.

He barely heard Remus trying to calm him down, and started searching the house to find that betraying spy. It's a good thing Harry didn't see that, or he'd be trying to kill the scumbag. It would be wrong of me to set him against a teacher of his. Sirius chuckled darkly as he thought of Harry's probable reaction to the prank. He'd be so mad at the traitor!

Remus trailed along behind his mate, trying to figure out how to get Sirius to stop for a minute so Remus could warn Harry what was about to happen. Remus was no fool- and a werewolf besides. The moment Harry had appeared in the living room, Remus had smelt Snape all over him. At first Remus was hurt and angry that of all the people in the world Harry had to choose from, he had to choose Snape.

But as the meeting progressed, and Remus was able to watch the interaction between the two men, he had come to a startling- but very relieving- conclusion. Harry and Snape must be mates. That was the only probable thing that could have gotten them together.

But now, as Remus dutifully followed Sirius as the Animagus stomped up the steps, it could be a very bad thing.

Sirius reached Harry's door, muttering under his breath, "I'll get Harry to help me search…," but Remus could still hear him. Sirius put his hand on the doorknob and tried to open it, but the door wouldn't budge. Sirius cursed under his breath as he jiggled the handle, and the door suddenly gave way.

Sirius stepped into the room, saying "Harry, I'll have to get your door fixed-" but as he spoke he looked on the bed and all he saw was Snape forcing himself on his Godson.

"Why you piece of bat-shit!" Sirius screeched as his hand went for his wand and Harry and Snape broke apart. Remus, trying and failing to stop Sirius, instead shut the door and placed the most powerful locking and silencing spells on it that he knew. No one should hear this conversation.

Remus, turning around, took in the tableau before him quickly. Harry had pushed Severus off of his chest and behind him, sheltering the older man with his own body as he instinctively tried to protect his mate from attack. He summoned his wand and pointed it at Sirius in an unwavering hand, watching his Godfather the same way he would watch a rabid dog.

Sirius, on the other hand, still had his wand pointed at Severus- or rather, at Harry, since Harry was blocking the older man with his body- and had a confused expression on his face.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted, "Get away from him! Don't you know what he was trying to do to you!?"

Harry didn't appear to have registered a word of what Sirius had said, and- with his wand still in the ready position- said in a flat voice, "Get out."

Sirius stared for a minute. What was wrong with Harry? Did the Death Eater have his Godson under some sort of spell? He tried again. "Harry- it's me Sirius. You can trust me. Just step away from the dirt-bag and I'll take care of everything."

Severus couldn't help himself; he snorted. From his position of pinned to Harry's back and tucked under the teen, he couldn't see anything, but he sure as hell knew what was going on in the godmutt's mind.

"You got something to say to me, shit-head?" Sirius asked in a deadly voice. Severus was just about to answer when Harry asked him silently to stay quiet. Severus obeyed his mate, mainly because he didn't want to see a practical patricide take place if Harry lost it.

Remus inched out from behind Sirius' sheltering form and waved at Harry. "Um, hi, Harry. I know this is a bad time and all, but I just wanted to say congratulations."

Sirius swung his head around to face Remus even as Harry inclined his head and said "Thank you."

"Have you lost your mind, Moony?" Sirius asked incredulously.

Remus shook his head, and glancing at Harry before going on said, "Sirius, remember what happened to us in our seventh year at Hogwarts?"

Sirius nodded. It was a rather momentous occasion in their lives.

Remus continued. "Well, I'd wager the same thing happened to Harry, Sirius."

The slack-jawed, wide-eyed, disbelieving expression that Sirius adopted was, in it's own way, far more funny than the pranks the twins had pulled. Harry's wand, still in the ready position, never wavered, but Harry allowed himself to smile at the sight of his godfather.

Sirius thunked onto the edge of Harry's bed as he lowered his wand and stared at Harry disbelievingly. "Are you shitting me?!"

Harry slowly allowed Severus to stand as he judged his Godfather too astonished to pull anything. "No," he replied shortly, "I'm not."

Severus chuckled as he dropped gracefully into a chair, Harry following unconsciously to block Sirius' line of fire, and sending his mate a chiding look that quickly turned to something else as he took in his mates appearance. Severus' normally pale skin was flushed and his eyes glittered with residual passion. His hair was mussed out of it's usual impeccable styling and his lips were bruised and pouting from the force of Harry's kisses.

Severus shivered as the fire came back into Harry's eyes, and smirked at Sirius, who was watching the interaction with a disgusted expression on his face as he realized that Remus and Harry were indeed telling the truth.

Remus also noticed that Harry was staring at Severus rather hungrily, and grabbed Sirius' arm. "We'll discuss this later. I'll send my Patronus up should Dumbledore come back." So saying, Remus dragged Sirius from the room and left the two lovers alone.

Harry took the time to set up a proper warding on the door, and- following Remus' example- added strong silencing and locking charms as well. Satisfied that nothing was going to be coming through that door, Harry turned back to Severus.

Advancing on his mate, Harry slid Severus' cloak off and began unbuttoning his tunic.

"Don't you hate interruptions?" Harry said slyly as his mate's tunic fell to the floor and Severus shivered as the cool air of the room slid on his skin like silk.

"Mm-hmm," he replied, and sucked in a breath as Harry attached his mouth to an overly sensitive nipple, arching his back and grabbing Harry for support, "…hate them…"

An hour later Severus was sitting on a ratty- old sofa in one of the living room's reading a Potion's text he had brought with him when he felt someone else enter. Instinctively reaching out with his mind, he found that it was not, as he had assumed, Harry. Turning around, Severus raised an aristocratic eyebrow as Sirius took a seat across from him.

Calling for Harry silently, Severus ignored the Animagus and went on reading his text.

"Hey, Snivellus!" Sirius said, and waited to see what Snape would say. But as time when on and Severus did not acknowledge him, Sirius added arrogantly, "I said Snivellus. Pay attention to me."

But Snape didn't even look up from his book.

Sirius, as Severus knew would happen, started to get angry at the Potion's Master, and had just stood and strode over to Snape, grabbing the man to get his attention when an icy voice asked, "Just what is going on here?"

Sirius froze, and turned slowly to face the blank mask that was his Godson's face. Looking back to Snape, and realizing that the other man was looking faintly amused, Sirius snatched his hand away as if burned.

"Nothing!" he assured Harry hastily, hiding his hands behind his back like a child caught stealing candy.

Harry just came into the room, and gestured for an unseen person to enter. When Remus peered around the door, his face lit up in a smile when he saw that everyone was unhurt.

"Hello all!" he said cheerily as he entered and perched on the back of a sofa. Harry shook his head slightly, amused by the Sub, and locked and warded the door. When he turned back to Sirius, his face- while less of an icy mask- was still and calm.

Taking a seat next to Severus on the sofa, Harry waited until Sirius had sat until speaking.

"While I know that my relationship with Severus is a hard one for you to understand, you will get over your childish tendencies." Sirius gaped, astounded that this cold and solemn man was his Godson. He did feel a sense of justice, though, when Harry turned to Snape and added, "I'll expect no less from you as well, Severus."

Snape merely nodded, and Sirius looked flustered as three pairs of eyes came to rest on him. Swallowing his hatred for the black-haired man, he bit out, "Fine."

Harry smiled, accepting the terse response. "So," he said, settling himself against Severus as the other man sighed and shrunk his book to put it back in his pocket, "What's new?"

Sirius had to repress the shiver that went through him as he watched his only Godson cuddle up to that… Dementor. But he refrained from saying anything along the lines of 'You fucked that in my house!?' and only waited for someone else to fill the gap.

Needless to say, Remus jumped right in.

"So how long did it take for you to cave, Harry?"

His eager expression must be the only reason Harry isn't blowing his top, Severus thought to himself with a chuckle. Harry nudged him with an elbow, but loosened up and answered.

"About fourteen hours, I'd say?" Severus nodded, confirming the time. He had been awake for the entirety of it, and had been counting.

Sirius whistled. "That's longer than Lily held out." Harry's gaze sharpened on his Godfather's face, and Sirius gulped.

"What did you say?" Harry felt Severus stiffen next to him, but he couldn't care about that right now. His mother was in a paired relationship!?

Remus nodded. "Yeah- when she found out she was James' Dom, she was bloody pissed. Wouldn't talk to him for hours, but then she just up and walked to the boys Dorm, sealed the curtains, and didn't let him out till the next morning." Remus chuckled, oblivious to the look of disgust on Harry's face as he thought about his parents doing the nasty.

"Yeah," Sirius chimed in, "He followed her around for days afterwards, and no one could figure out why she was letting him. After all, she had hated him for the first six years they knew each other. Me and Remus and James and Lily were the only paired couples our year."

Severus heard the words float around him, feeling as though everything he knew of his life had been torn from him. He kept his usual dour mask in place- or as much in place as he could around Harry- but inside he was reeling. That's why she told me she wasn't going to be able to be my friend any longer! That's why she cut off all communication between us! Severus felt Harry slip into his mind to see what had caused him to become tense, and in return felt the boy stiffen as he heard his mate's thoughts. But Severus could not stop his mind from lurching and weaving because of this information.

Sirius and Remus watched Snape as they told the Potter's most closely-guarded secret. For but a split moment he looked shocked, but it was so swift they could have labeled it a figment of their imaginations. But they didn't and Sirius felt a sour triumph as he finally told Snivellus why Lily had ceased being friendly to him all those years ago.

Harry let his hand catch Severus', and gripped it tight as the older man battled with himself. The thoughts that were flying through his mate's mind were chaotic, unorganized, and hurt, but one in particular caught Harry's attention.

I became a Death Eater because of her! Because she just left me… the thought was the last one, the one Severus stopped and dwelt on. A tear tried to worm it's way into Harry's eye but he stopped it, focusing his entire being on Severus.

Remus tried to figure out what he had said to make Snape freeze like that, but nothing came to mind. Instead, he turned to Sirius and was going to ask him but stopped when he saw the grim gleam in his Dom's eye.

"What did you do that for?" Remus asked silently. When Sirius didn't respond, he pursed his lips and looked away. They were going to have a talk later.

Harry ignored the others in the room- they knew the secret; what was the point of playing coy?- and gently took Severus' chin with his hand. "Severus. Listen to me. Do not blame yourself-" but he was cut off by pleading black eyes.

"I took the Mark because she left me- because Lucius told me that she was not worthy of me. He said that the Dark Lord would take me in and make me useful, that I would never feel alone again. He said that the Dark Lord would never betray me, and that I would make friends among my own kind who would respect me for who I am. Lucius told me-"

He was interrupted by Harry, who stared him in the eyes and smiled softly. "You are a different person now, Sev'rus, and no matter what you may have done in your youth, I will always be here."

Sirius watched in revulsion as Harry leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to the old bat's lips. Remus sighed as he watched the other couple, and Sirius shouted silently, "HOW IS THAT SIGH-WORTHY!?"

But Remus ignored him, and watched as Harry pulled away from Severus to smile at him again. Then he turned to look at Sirius and his eyes grew cold.

"I would have expected better from you, Sirius. You are my family, and yet you treat my mate as if he is no better than scum." Severus had his mask firmly back in place by now- if not his emotions- and watched as his childhood enemy was ridiculed by his own Godson.

"I thought that once you knew the situation you would be supportive. Yet obviously I was wrong." Harry stood, Snape a bare second behind, and they walked towards the door. "When you have overcome your childish objections you will see me again."

In the silence following his words Harry let himself and Severus out of the room, politely closing the door behind them. In the hallway they were alone, though they could hear the sounds of people not that far away. Severus closed his eyes and fisted his hand, his body demanding that he reach out and let Harry hold him, but knowing that anyone could come around the corner at any second.

Harry sucked in a deep breath as he realized what he had just done. In the more pressing matter of making sure no one would ever harm his mate, he had over looked the fact that he had just given his only living family member an ultimatum. But as he reached inside of Severus' mind to reassure himself he had made the correct decision, something caught his attention.

Dumbledore was standing at the end of the hallway, the usual twinkle missing from his eyes but a grim smile playing on his lips. And in that moment Harry knew that there had been no pressing reason to call a full meeting in the middle of the school year. Dumbledore had set this up specifically so that Sirius and Remus would find out. Harry seethed as he reached this conclusion, and snarled at the old man down the hall.

But it didn't faze his Headmaster; no- because he smiled a wolfish smile as he turned and walked away, leaving Harry and Severus in the hall to wonder what exactly the old man's game was.

The meeting concluded around six thirty, and everyone sighed with relief. It had been a long day, but- according to some- productive. They had a viable plan to combat the possible raid of the Muggle villages, and Tonks and Shaklebolt had promised Ministry aid if it came to that.

Minerva was waiting in the foyer for Albus and Snape when Harry joined her. There were shadows under his eyes, and he looked murderous. Minerva wondered if he had had a fight with his Godfather, since they had been avoiding each other after lunch.

Her hand came down on Harry's shoulder and he started, looking up into caring hazel eyes as she said, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Half of Harry shouted 'Yes! Help me! Dumblefuck-head's out to kill me!', but the other half wanted nothing more than to curl up with Severus and forget the trials of the day. So he settled with just shaking his head and looking away, not trusting himself to speak.

Minerva saw the need for a confidant in her favorite pupil's eyes before he looked away, and she added softly, "If you ever need to talk, just come to my office." Harry nodded, still looking away, and Minerva sighed. There really was no getting to Harry when he was in this mood, and she was well aware of that.

She dropped her hand and sighed, consigned to the fact that Harry wasn't going to talk. But softly, so softly she wasn't even sure she heard it, he started speaking.

"You know I'm the dominant in my relationship." Minerva nodded, remembering when she had tried to get Albus to tell her who it was. "Sirius has a problem with him, and won't let it go." Harry paused as Minerva schooled her shock. She had thought that Sirius would be ecstatic to find out his Godson had a mate. She must be wrong.

"So I told him that until he accepts my mate for who he is, he wouldn't see me again."

Minerva couldn't hide her shock this time. It must be bad for Sirius to be so bull-headed about it. She was pulled out of her thoughts, however, by the arrival of the man himself.

Sirius looked scared as he saw the look Minerva was giving him, and cleared his throat. "Um, Harry? Can I talk to you for a second?"

Harry's jaw worked, and he amazed Minerva by looking up at her for approval. She nodded immediately and squeezed his shoulder. He needed his family.

Harry walked towards Sirius with a hesitant step, and as they disappeared around the corner, she once again turned her mind towards the mystery of who Harry Potter was paired with.

Sirius cast a few spell to ensure their privacy, and looked at his Godson. Harry looked ready to flee, and Sirius cursed himself for causing that reaction.

"Listen, Harry. About earlier, I'm sorry." The words fell from his lips like sawdust, but he had to say them. And not only because Remus had refused to sleep with him until he straightened out the mess he had made of his relationship with his Godson.

Harry laughed at Sirius, knowing full well why the other man was apologizing. But it was something, and it must be something Dumbledore doesn't want, so he accepted it.

"It's fine, Sirius. It's fine."

Sirius' smile was pure relief. He had proven Remus wrong and he had his Godson's favor back. Life was good.

"Listen, I've got to go, but I'll owl you sometime soon." Harry reached out and pulled his Godfather into a strong hug, relieved beyond belief that they had come back together.

Pulling apart, Sirius said, "I'll try to get used to it, but no guarantee's, ya'hear?" Harry laughed and nodded. Sirius dismissed the spells and they parted, both smiling as they walked parted.

But Harry's smile faded as he walked back into the foyer to wait with Minerva. Severus was there, and Harry's face fell into the 'I so hate you' expression that he used to wear around Snape. Minerva noticed this, and sighed. It would be so much easier if the two of them could get along.

But Albus showed up just then, and- eyes twinkling- pro offered the Port Key, a ratty old shirt that looked as if it had been in the garbage pail for far too long. Gingerly, the other three members took a hold of it and resigned themselves to the ugly feel of their navel's being wrenched from their body's.

They arrived in the Headmaster's office, and immediately dropped the nasty shirt. Minerva took a seat in one of the chairs before the desk and waited as Harry and Snape took their leave.

When the door had shut behind them, she turned to Albus with a warm smile on her face.

"So the meeting went well, I assume?"

Minerva didn't understand the smile that graced her boss' face, rather larger than the question warranted. But she smiled gamely back, and they fell into a conversation discussing the finer points of the meeting.

Severus didn't even wait until they had passed the gargoyle before turning to a wall and placing his hand on it. When a door appeared, he opened it and stepped through, Harry following.

They stood in the living room for a moment, silent as they thought about the discoveries of the day.

Harry sighed expansively and smiled, turning to Severus and saying, "Sirius apologized!"

But Severus did not seem happy and merely shrugged off his cloak, throwing it over the back of a chair and collapsing into the same and putting his head into his hands.

Harry came and knelt in front of the older man, pulling his hands away from his face and searching the black eyes before him. "What's wrong?" he asked, and stared as Severus pulled out of his grasp and leaned away.

"I am tainted. Why are you here?"

Harry was astounded. "Why do you sat that? You are not tainted with anything."

Severus sneered and pulled up his sleeve, showing of the Mark that stained his skin. "You are supposed to kill me. Yet here you are, at my feet, saying I am taint free. This-" he thrust the Mark under Harry's nose- "is my taint."

Harry looked at Severus for a moment longer before glancing down at the Mark. He regarded it for a second as he pursed his lips. He felt Severus start to shake as the emotions of the day caught up to him, and Harry took Severus' left arm in his hand.

Pressing a kiss to the Mark, Harry was gratified to feel Severus shiver. "If you are tainted, I am tainted. We are not separate, anymore, and for the rest of our life we will be together. I will not have you believe the lies of a madman."

Harry stood and tugged the arm in his grasp until Severus stood with him. "You are not tainted because you are mine," Harry said, knowing it was a perverse way of looking at the topic. He spoke again as they walked into their bedroom. "You are mine, and you are perfect."

Harry still felt his mate's disbelief in the back of his mind, so he decided that now would be a good time to reinforce what he was trying to say.

He turned them so that Severus was pressed against the bed. Taking his wand out, Harry undid the multitude of buttons with a single word. He ran his hands up and down Severus' sides, and pressed kisses to his lips and neck.

"You."

He finished divesting Severus of his clothing and sat him on the edge of the bed. Dropping to his knees between the pale les, Harry took the suddenly hard erection in his mouth and worked Severus for all he was worth.

Even with the stress of everything and the fact that he had come twice already today, Severus was clenching Harry's hair and moaning before long. He came hard into Harry's mouth, and slumped back against the sheets as he recovered.

"Are."

Harry smiled as he undressed and slid himself and Severus under the covers. And as Severus relaxed against him and slowly fell asleep, Harry finished his sentence.

"Mine."

Hello! Look- it's ontime!

Alright- enough theatrics from me. On a more serious note, I have something to tell you all. I'm placing this fic on a short HAITUS, for about two weeks or so. My life has recently gotten hectic and all that RL jazz, and I need to start concentrating on it a bit more. I will still, however, respond to reviews and PM's, just the updates will stop for about two weeks. If the break is going to be any longer, I'll certainly tell you, but for now it stands.

Sorry, everybody, and I hope you'll all forgive me in a little while. But this is a nice point to leave off on, no?

At any rate, thanks for all the support, and I hope to see you all soon!

Netrixie